


Blood of Cinder, Soul of Ice

by Demran



Category: RWBY
Genre: Aristocrat Weiss, F/F, F/M, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid shapeshifting Ruby, Multi, Swords & Sorcery AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-06-07 09:01:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6797647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demran/pseuds/Demran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a mysterious fire consumes Schnee Manor, Weiss finds herself the last member of an already declined family. Further mysteries are revealed to her when she visits the wreckage of her former home...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Revalation

_Terror. Pain. Heat. Weiss’ breath came in short gasps as she flung a vase through the window at the end of the hall. She could hardly see through the smoke, but she could hear the floor collapsing behind her. The screams of her parents, trapped in their bedchambers._

_ She was only on the second floor, surely she could survive the fall. That’s what her mind told her, at least. But terror locked her knees in place. What would be a more dignified death, burning with her family or breaking herself upon the ground in a craven attempt to live? _

_ One final crash of a beam collapsing behind her prompted Weiss to leap through the window.  She sailed through the air for a good distance before landing hard on her shoulder, letting out an agonized scream as something snapped. She writhed in pain, gripping her shoulder tightly, screaming until the blackness of unconsciousness took her. _

 

* * *

__

 

Weiss shivered, looking at the charred ruins that used to be her family’s estate. Despite the cold, she could still feel the flames licking at her skin as she, somehow, escaped the fire. She never learned how it started, or why the bucket brigade couldn’t put the fire out until nothing but cracked stone and ash remained.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out the memories. The healer told her they would pass, the first time she asked about them. The first night she awoke screaming, clawing at her skin as if the fire had somehow found her again.

Weiss grimaced and began trudging through the snow again, taking the first steps into the ruins of what was once her home in over two months. She picked through the scattered husks of what was once the entrance hall, looking over the cracked remains of vases that were once the height of her mother’s pride. The wire frames of what were once the finest paintings of her family’s lineage.

Moving past the entrance hall, she looked around the sitting room. Her father would insist upon her, and her sister, learning how to properly entertain guests here. The lessons went on for hours at a time, despite Weiss knowing full well that their family was falling from status. Even their subjects in the village below the manor didn’t respect them enough to pay full tithes, anymore.

Something glinting under a thin sheet of ice caught her eye, and Weiss moved to investigate. It was a latch, or was a very convincing replica of one, hidden in the floor. She remembered that this area was normally covered by a rug, and immediately wondered what cause there might be to conceal a trap door.

She frowned and rooted about the ashes and snow around the fireplace, eventually letting out a sigh of relief as the fire poker was in tact. It was similar enough in weight to the rapiers she trained with, so she surmised she’d be able to use it in a fight.  _ Hoped  _ she could use it in a fight. Using the wrecked handle of the poker, she shattered the ice on the trap door’s latch and cleared away the debris around it before taking a deep breath and opening it.

She slowly descended the stairwell, each step taking ever so slightly longer than the last, until she reached a door marked with strange, almost otherworldly symbols. Weiss cautiously opened the door, miraculously untouched by the flame above. The room on the other side of the door was lit by numerous multi colored glowing crystals, each kept in a separate jar. Going further into the room, she noticed that this was some kind of hidden, private study, with dusty tomes that must be centuries old lining the shelves alongside the vials of crystals and powders that must just be crushed crystals.

Moving to one of the shelves, she picked up a jar with one of the brighter crystals and began using it as a makeshift torch. The books lining the shelves had the same esoteric markings as the door, but one more weathered and used book on the study’s desk was written in the common tongue. And it bore her father’s handwriting.

She opened the journal and began reading over the contents. She must have lost hours in that cellar study, pouring over the madness within the journal. Her father seemed to fancy himself some apothecary or alchemist or, dare she say it, sorcerer. The journal claimed that the stones about the room contained some mythic power, only able to be harnessed by humans; though her father obviously had doubts that the common man would ever master the discipline to wield this power to any useful extent.

Scoffing at the thought, she set the journal aside and took the lid from a jar containing a modest portion of blue dust. The book gave no instruction, no fanciful words of power, only the fact that concentration and mastery of one’s soul could unlock this stone’s hidden power. Concentrating on it, she flung the powder at the one bare wall and watched. Miraculously, the dust became as ice, a thick coating splaying over the wall with a thick spear jutting out where the majority of the dust froze.

Weiss staggered backwards from surprise, a strangled gasp escaping her. Her father wasn’t a madman, and everything in the journal was, as far as she could tell it, true. She began reading again, this time with feverish purpose. She skipped over many of the details and diagrams and experiments, hoping to find what purpose her father might have needed this magical stone for.

She felt her blood run cold when she found out how her father came by the knowledge, the stones, and all the research material. A mysterious woman, whom he named only ‘Cinder’ in the journal, had approached him before Weiss had even been born, and worked some deal with him. He would provide her with one child, perfectly schooled in the art of manipulating this substance, this Dust as she now knew it named, in exchange for her returning the name of Schnee to a place of glory.

Reading further, the journal detailed how the first fruit of their union was some soulless changeling, with skin black as night and eyes of glowing coal, but Cinder was apparently not displeased by this and merely spirited the misbegotten child away for some other purpose. The second result of their union was Weiss herself. She could barely contain her horror as her father’s journal recounted all the methods he had employed over the course of her life to prepare her, mind, body, and soul, to be this Cinder’s servant, to wield this Dust.

The latest entries were frenzied and raving, her father writing about the temptress of his dreams and how she was disappointed. How he was a failure. How he should erase the stain of his failure from the world, to cleanse it down to his mistress’ namesake.

“Oh no…” Weiss choked out as she dropped the journal, tears blurring her vision. She shrunk away from the books, curling up in a corner and murmuring “No!” over and over again. Eventually, she forced herself to calm down and read the last entry. It was a detailed plan of how to burn the manor to the ground, and how to use Dust to ensure the fire was not put out before its purpose was fulfilled.

Weiss rose from her position on the ground and staggered out of the cellar study, her body trembling not just from the cold but from the shock of learning her true parentage. Her father was not mad, though his last entries were raving, and there was at least some truth to the journal’s claims. She began stumbling out of the wreck, casting her gaze about to ensure she remained alone.

A lone wolf watched her from the edge of the woods, unusually still and focused. Weiss watched it for a few long moments before it turned and left, and she decided she should do the same. Trudging the familiar, if now disused, path took her down a wide ridge overlooking the village that was her family’s last fief.  _ Her  _ last fief, if she wanted to be particular about inheritance laws. She could see the children playing catch-the-cat in the streets, hear the rhythmic ringing of metal on metal as the blacksmith worked at some tool or another, and see the smoke rising from the tavern that was her temporary residence. It was the perfect, innocent town, concerned only with making it through the winter without starving.

The trip took barely a quarter of an hour, but the sun was setting by the time she reached the town’s gate. A guardsman hailed her, removing his cap. “Lady Schnee, a word!”

Weiss should remember this man’s name, she knew, but she had been trained so little in actually managing the fief that she found it quite impossible. She supposed her father didn’t think she needed to know anyway. “Of course,” she called back, crossing to the guard.

“A woman with dark hair and the strangest mode of speech crossed through not long after you left to survey your family’s manor,” the guard said. “She claimed to be a distant aunt of yours, come to take you to the capital, that it was best that you be with family in this trying time.”

Weiss blinked. “No one bearing the name Schnee has dark hair, they’re obviously an imposter,” she began, a nagging fear clawing at the edges of her mind. “Did you, perchance, catch her name?”

“She claimed her name to be Cinder the Freeheart. It sounds false to me but, I’ve not the experience with these matters that you do, ma’am.”

For the third time that day, Weiss’ blood froze. “I see. Tell her--” she had to come up with a plan, fast. “Tell her that I’ll meet her by the northern gate. Or have that message sent.”

“Of course. Is there anything else?”   
“It shames me but… Have you any coin to spare? I know that times are lean but, I have a purchase I need to make.”

The guard hesitated for a moment before handing over a small purse, light with coin. “It isn’t much, a handful of shillings at most, but that should get you anything you need.”

She gratefully accepted the money, offering a tired smile. “Thank you, guardsman. I’ll make sure whatever I don’t spend gets back to you.” Weiss offered a parting nod of her head before heading towards the market. She had no intention of meeting the woman claiming to be Cinder at the north gate. But she needed to escape the village without someone recognizing her, so she headed towards a fabric vendor. An idea occurred to her, as she ran a hand over a bolt of cotton dyed blood red, and she quickly purchased a length to wrap herself in, telling the vendor to send the leftover money to the guardsman manning the Manor gate whenever she could.

She remembered the stories she heard as a child, about how wolves were smarter than most beasts, and could understand the tongue of men. How you shouldn’t invoke their name in the woods, or they will come for you. How the sight of blood made their attacks more vicious, more determined.

She remembered the wolf that watched her. She remembered how her entire life until now was a lie, to prepare her to be some dark Witch’s servant.

Weiss refused to be a slave to some purpose that she knew not the end of, and so wrapped herself in the skein of fabric, heading for the western gate. She kept her head down, and looked nothing more than a villager going about their business, chilled by the winter air. The path from this gate was less used, because it took a sharp turn towards the forest that had never been properly cleared away, but it was for precisely that reason Weiss chose this path. 

She waited until the path took her far enough from the village to head into the forest unseen before turning off the path and taking a deep breath. She walked for what felt like an hour before calling out: “Wolf! Wolf, are you there?”

Weiss hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Wolf, do you have enough to eat? Are you hungry?”

A howl from a hill near her caught her attention, and she turned to see the same wolf from earlier. “Please… Eat me, Wolf,” she said, holding her arms out to either side.

The wolf tilted its head slightly, as if considering something, before bounding down the hill and leaping at Weiss. Her eyes clenched shut as she prepared herself for the teeth at her throat, for death…

That never came. Yes, she was bowled over backwards by something heavy, but the grip at her throat was that of a person’s. “Why,” a strange voice asked. Simultaneously mirthful and grim, it asked again, “Why should I eat you?”

Weiss opened her eyes, staring long into the silver gaze that used to belong to the wolf. “W-Wolf?” she stammered out.

“I can read your aura as plain as any word. I see a woman of action. Of ability,” the grip on Weiss throat tightened somewhat. “Of decadence. Why should I take you from this world?”

“Because,” Weiss began, her voice trembling. “I want to die.”

“No you don’t.” The answer was immediate. The silver-eyed woman leaned down, her face scant inches from Weiss’. “You’re afraid. No one who wants to die, and goes to meet it, is afraid. They’re at peace.”

Weiss averted her gaze, trying to come up with a convincing lie. “I’m worse than dead if I go back to the village. I’d like to have some say in my life, for once.”

The silver-eyed woman considered her for a moment before leaning away and standing. “Get up. I won’t kill you. I  _ will  _ help you run from whatever you’re fleeing.”

Weiss blinked, looking up at her. “Wait a moment, I recognize you. You’re that trapper, the outlander. Rose, yes?”

“That’s one of my names. You may call me Ruby.” Ruby smirked somewhat, eyes twinkling mischievously as she offered her hand down to help Weiss up.

Taking her hand, Weiss stood. She’d never seen Ruby up close before, but she had heard stories about how the skins she brought in to trade were unusually pristine, with no mark of arrow nor blade upon them. She’d also heard how she would brook with none of the village’s men accompanying her.

No one knew where she lived, or even if Rose, and now Ruby, was even her real name. But she always gave the people a fair price for her goods, and her word was more honourable than most.

Ruby smiled warmly before turning away. “Come on, follow me. My hut isn’t far from here. You’re the daughter of the local Lord, aren’t you?”

Weiss raised a brow. “I am… Was. My father is dead.”

Ruby’s voice fell. “So he didn’t escape the fire. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

“Don’t be. I recently learned that he was… less than honourable. He had designs for my life that no sane man would brook with.”

Ruby glanced over her shoulder at Weiss, eyes inquisitive. “You’ll have to tell me about it. Over dinner, we shouldn’t talk more. The wolves… Real wolves, rather, are out in force tonight.”

Weiss nodded, and Ruby looked forward again. The air grew more chill as the sun finally descended completely beneath the horizon. There were clouds covering the moon, and despite the heavy snowfall, the ground was black as pitch. She could hear the baying of wolves in the air, disturbingly close. The hair on the back of Weiss’ neck stood on end, and she quickly lost track of time, her attention on the dark forest around her.

“Home sweet home!” Ruby exclaimed suddenly, skipping a little as she crossed the distance to the door of the hut. It was a simple affair, an earthen dome that was built into the ground in a small clearing in the woods. Weiss could hear the tinkling of a river not far away, and she looked over the path once again. She was shocked to discover that there was no evidence of their passage, and was about to ask Ruby what was going on when she heard the woman clear her throat.

“Any time you want to get out of the cold, Lady,” Ruby said with a chuckle.

Weiss frowned and stepped down the sloping path and ducked into the hut. The inside was dark, but much warmer than the chill air outside. Ruby closed the door and lit a candle near the door before setting to work at the fireplace. “I managed to snag a deer, earlier. I  _ had  _ been planning to sell the pelt, but I believe you might have more need of it.”

Once the fireplace was lit, Weiss could see all manner of oddities about the hut. Root vegetables hung from small strings in the ceiling, or sat piled in sacks near the door. An odd charm made of bones and gemstones hung from the center of the ceiling, directly over the worn table. Opposite the room from the fireplace was a bed built into the sloping wall. A series of charms hung over it. Curiously, a wicked looking battle-axe hung on the wall over the bed.

As she looked back to Ruby to inquire about the charms, she felt her face heat. Ruby had removed her winter clothes, and Weiss could see why so many men in the village were intimidated by the trapper.  She had an impressive build, not particularly womanly but certainly strong. Weiss blinked as Ruby rather obviously flexed, showing off, and looked away with a huff.

Ruby let out a laugh, shaking her head. “I don’t mind if you stare. D’you mind helping with dinner? It’ll go faster if there’s four hands making it.”

“What did you have in mind. I can’t speak to much experience with cooking, but I’m not helpless,” Weiss managed to stammer out, keeping her gaze off Ruby.

“Grab a handful of potatoes and some onions and get them chopped up small then. I’ll go fill a pot for stew.” Ruby left the hut, leaving Weiss to puzzle out where everything was. It didn’t take her long, the hut being as small as it was certainly helped, and by the time Ruby returned Weiss had a large amount of vegetables prepared for what Weiss assumed would end up being stew.

“Add the vegetables once the water starts boiling,” Ruby said as she put the pot over the fire. “And some salt, I should have a box around here somewhere… I’ll find it, once I chop the meat.”

Weiss raised a brow, pointing to a box by the fireplace clearly labelled: Salt. Ruby chuckled and shrugged, turning to begin cutting large chunks of meat from what looked to be most of a deer’s leg. Weiss watched for a moment before paying close attention to the pot. When it began boiling, she added the salt and the vegetables. “I’ve never heard of someone hunting with an axe before. It must take a great deal of skill to do so.”

“What makes you think I hunt with an axe?” Ruby asked as she began adding the meat to the stew.

“How else could you hunt? I don’t see a bow in here.” Weiss frowned.

Ruby set aside the cutting board, staring for a moment at Weiss before smirking. “Do you really want to know?”

“It will bother me, if I don’t.” Weiss narrowed her eyes as Ruby moved to stand behind her, using her hands to pull Weiss’ hair out of the way.

Ruby leaned down to whisper: “Like this,” in Weiss’ ear before leaning down further and gently biting Weiss’ neck. Weiss’ breath hitched as she stiffened, Ruby’s teeth being ever so slightly pointed. Her face felt warm, but Weiss didn’t speak out as Ruby worked her jaw slightly. They remained like that for a few moments before Ruby drew away and Weiss had to keep from whimpering.

“That answer your question?” Ruby asked, leaning over and smirking at Weiss’ reaction.

Not trusting her voice, Weiss simply nodded. She then clenched her eyes shut and shook her head back and forth a few times, to banish her thoughts. “So,” she cleared her throat to silence Ruby’s chuckling. “Why help me?”

Ruby raised a brow, moving to the table to lounge in one of the chairs around it. “Helping people is what I do. And you seem like you need more than most, if you’re willing to throw your life away. Are you going to tell me why you’re willing to do that?”

“I… Yes. If you’re going to help me, you have a right to know. My father was seduced by a woman he called Cinder, before I was born. I was supposed to be given over to her for some purpose, some madness that my father raised me to fulfill.” Weiss frowned as Ruby’s attitude became much less relaxed.

“Ozpin was right…” Ruby murmured, going slightly pale. “I need to get you to him.”

“Wait, who is Ozpin?” Weiss’ frown deepened.

Ruby blinked before facepalming. “He’s a… wizard. He lives in a tower to the south, near the port town of Vale. He trained me. Cinder… Cinder’s an enemy of his. We thought her to be dead, but apparently she had simply fled here. Do you know for certain that she seduced your father?”

“Yes. She is… shamefully, my mother. And is in the village, looking for me, after causing my father to light the fire that ended my family’s lives.”

Ruby knitted her fingers together and leaned forward, propping her elbows upon her knees and resting her chin upon her hands. “How do you know all this?”   
“I visited the ruins of my manor today and found a hidden study where my father was… experimenting, I suppose, with a strange stone he named Dust. The study had his journal, and it detailed his crimes.”

“Dust? There’s Dust in your house?” Ruby asked, excited. “Do you know if it’s still active?”

“I would assume so. I cast a handful of it against the wall, and it froze. It was blue, and according to my father’s journal that’s what it was supposed to do.”

Ruby grinned. “That’s excellent! Ozpin hasn’t found a store of Dust for some time, and our stores are running out. And if you can use it without training, then that’s proof enough you’re of Cinder’s blood. But she doesn’t have you!” Ruby’s excitement was palpable.

“Of course she doesn’t! Why are you so happy about this?” Weiss scowled at Ruby, who pouted a bit.

“It’s just… The order Cinder’s a part of, their daughters are disposable. Most of them are mad, actually, but your mind isn’t shattered or twisted. And you can use Dust! Actually, you can probably help Ozpin find more, it’ll give us a chance at actually killing Cinder.”

“And you want my help with that, don’t you.”

“Obviously! Wouldn’t it be satisfying? Getting revenge for your parents?”

Weiss frowned. Ruby spoke true, it  _ would  _ be satisfying. And if this Cinder had done this before, she’d be doing good in the world as well. “Fine. I’ll help. It isn’t as if I’ve much of anything to do here, the villagers don’t recognize me as their liege, and I never formally received my father’s title.”

“So you have no obligations here!” Ruby cheered, jumping from her chair.

Weiss frowned at Ruby’s antics, but Ruby just shooed her away from the fireplace and removed the stew from the fire. It took her a few moments, but she dished up a pair of bowls and placed one in Weiss’ hands. “It’s getting late, so we should eat and head to bed. In the morning, we can go get the Dust from your house. And your father’s journal, that should be helpful too.”

Weiss raised a brow as she took a bite of stew. “Speaking of bed, you only have one.” She fought to keep her voice even.

“I don’t mind sharing. It’s warmer that way,” Ruby said, scarfing down the stew.

“I am not going to lie with you!” Weiss exclaimed, face heating again.

Ruby paused, blinking a few times. She let out another laugh. “Relax, I didn’t mean it like that! You might be attractive, but we barely know each other. I really do just mean it as a warmth thing, because this hut can get cold at night. And neither of us is going to sleep without a blanket.”

“You had best keep your hands to yourself, then!” Weiss grumbled, going back to her stew.

Ruby just laughed and went back to inhaling her food, going back for a second bowl when her first was empty. The pair ate the rest of their meal in silence, and Ruby set their bowls aside. Weiss crossed to the bed and took her hair out of the ponytail she kept it in, her platinum hair cascading down her back.

“I meant to ask earlier but… What are these charms?” Weiss studiously avoided looking at Ruby, who was removing most of her clothing.

“Oh, them? They keep away bad dreams, and hide me from people like Cinder. Go ahead and slip into bed, the wall side’s the warmest anyway.”

“Do they work?” Weiss said, lifting the thick fur blanket and laying down upon the surprisingly soft mattress.

“Most of the time. Unfortunately, it’s only the really bad dreams that seem to get through.” Ruby set a grouping of stones around the fireplace before slipping into bed next to Weiss. “I’ll make one for you tomorrow. G’night, Weiss.”

Weiss rolled to face away from Ruby, mostly to hide her blush. “Good night.”


	2. Chapter 2

Weiss awoke early the next morning, wrapped up tight in a fur blanket. If not for the earthen wall she was staring at, she would almost believe that she was back at home, that the past two months hadn’t happened. As she woke up and began paying more attention, she could make out a faint, rhythmic grunting off to the side of the bed. Rolling over, she sat up to notice a young man with the same hair colour as Ruby’s doing pushups next to the bed.

“Excuse me,” she began, just a bit startled. She had to keep from blushing as the young man looked at her, somewhat surprised, and stood up. He was just as impressively built as Ruby was.

“About time you woke up, Weiss,” they said with a grin, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Wh-Who are you?” She asked, bringing the blanket up to hide herself. Not that she needed to, but habits were what they were.

“Wha-- Oh! It’s me, Ruby! What, you didn’t think a wolf was all I could turn into, did you?” Ruby smirked, winking.

Weiss went beet red at the wink, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “P-Prove it!” She demanded.

Sighing, Ruby just rolled her eyes. “Fine, if you insist. I’m not really feeling that today though.” Ruby’s form shimmered slightly, as if being viewed through a distorted mirror, before their features began changing. Rather suddenly, their face rounded slightly and their chest swelled out just enough to be noticeable. Weiss couldn’t help but stare.

“Satisfied?” Ruby asked, raising a brow.

“How… How do you do that?” Weiss gave up trying to control her expressions. They always betrayed her anyway. Rebellious things.

Ruby shrugged, their form shifting to that of the young man’s again. “It’s just an aspect of my magic.”

“But, why shift from a woman to a man?”

Again, Ruby simply shrugged. “Some days I’m a man, others I’m a woman. Some days, I’m neither. Some, I’m just a wolf, or a bear. It is what it is.”

Weiss opened her mouth to respond, but her entire world faded to red. A dominating voice spoke from the back of her mind, commanding:  _ “Kill them all. Burn the village. Find the girl.”  _ It repeated this over and over again, and Weiss couldn’t think, couldn’t  _feel _ anything other than a desire to do as told.

When it passed, she found herself on the ground. Ruby was on top of her, pinning her down by her wrists. They were saying something, but Weiss’ ears were ringing. Her lip hurt, and she could see a slight smear of blood on Ruby’s forehead.

“Weiss, you have to fight it,” Ruby said, Weiss’ hearing finally returning. “Stay with me.”

“What… What happened?” She asked, squirming in Ruby’s grip.

“You heard Cinder’s call. It’s something she uses to control her children. But you can fight it. Just concentrate on me. On the here and now.”

“Cinder’s call? What-- Why didn’t you tell me about it?” Weiss glared at Ruby.

“Because I didn’t want to worry you! Well, not more than I already had. And I wasn’t sure she’d use it, given how she can’t control which of her children hear it. Any Grimm nearby are going to be swarming.”  
“Grimm? What’s a Grimm?” Weiss held her glare.

Ruby winced. “A monster. I’ll leave it at that until we get you out of here. Do you still hear her?”

“No. Just… a ringing in my ears, from how loud it was.”

Ruby experimentally released Weiss’ wrists and stood up. They kept a careful eye on Weiss as she sat up, wincing and rubbing her wrists to get the feeling of Ruby’s vicelike grip out of them. There was still an urge to throttle Ruby, to level the hut, but Weiss trampled over it. Grimacing, she rose as well.

“We should get my father’s journal, and the Dust, as soon as possible then. If these… Grimm… are going to be a problem.”

“I’ll go. It shouldn’t be hard to find the journal. I’m guessing it’s underground?”

“I’m going with you! I’m not helpless.” Weiss lightly stomped one foot.

“Against the Grimm you are. Without a weapon, no magic of your own, and no Dust? You’re just a target. And the Grimm might not kill you, they’re probably under orders to drag you to Cinder. So you’re  _ not  _ leaving the hut until I get back.” Ruby’s voice took on a hard edge, their eyes narrowing. “I’m not going to lose you. I’ve failed too many of your sisters before, and I’ve had enough of it.”

Their sudden conviction left Weiss a little stunned. She couldn’t come up with a response to Ruby’s sincere desire to help, to protect, even as Ruby donned their winter clothing and shouldered a heavy pack. A moment later, they had axe in hand.

Finally, Weiss spoke up. “Yes, the Dust and journal are underground. A hidden study under the sitting room.”

“Stay here and bar the door. I’m the only one here besides you that knows my name is Ruby, so bar the door and only open it when I return.”

Weiss nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She didn’t want to leave everything to Ruby, but she was more afraid of what Cinder might do than she was stubborn. Ruby sighed and placed a comforting hand on Weiss’ shoulder. “I won’t take long. No one knows this forest like I do, so I’m safe.”

They left after that, leaving Weiss alone with her thoughts.

 

* * *

__

 

Ruby slunk through the woods, thankful for her ability to shapeshift. They could hear every Grimm in the forest near them, letting them plot a course around them. They didn’t strictly need to, but they didn’t want to take any chances.

It didn’t take them long to find the edge that bordered the Schnee manor, which looked deserted. They could see smoke from the village, hear the sounds of battle.  _“Not my job anymore,”_ Ruby thought to themself as they edged around the treeline to stay hidden on their approach to the manor. Thankfully, there were no Grimm about, so they readily shifted back into human form.

_“Now, where’s the sitting room,” _ they wondered, poking about the ruined building. They thought they could see Weiss’ tracks from the other night, but a fresher set of tracks had them concerned. Setting down their pack and hiding it in a corner, they hefted their axe and crept into what had to be the sitting room. A large trapdoor was open, and Ruby could hear someone rummaging about in the cellar.

They slowly descended the stairs, keeping their axe ready. The door had been hacked apart, and inside a short woman with dark skin and minty green hair stood, shoving jars and vials of dust into a pack. Ruby’s breath caught for a moment, their memory flashing back to the last time they had seen her.

_Emerald_ stood in Weiss’ basement, the last of Cinder’s daughters that Ruby had tried helping. The one who’s fall heralded Vacuo’s descent into civil war. The one who had killed Ruby’s friend Penny, and had almost succeeded in killing Ruby themself.

Ruby held onto the worst memories, putting the good ones out of their mind, even as they raised their axe high in preparation to bring it down upon Emerald’s back. One more step was all it took, and Ruby’s axe cleaved through the air to bury itself…

In the study’s table. Emerald had somehow managed to dodge the swing. Ruby yanked it free and backhanded Emerald, trying to get more room in the cramped study.

“Ruby!” Emerald yelled, as she finally saw her attacker. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Shut up!” Ruby replied, swinging their axe again. It met only the wood of a bookshelf. Jars of Dust fell to the ground and shattered, their contents spilling about. “You don’t get to act friendly. Not after what you did.”

“What I did? Ruby, surely you don’t fault me for listening to my own mother, do you?” Emerald asked, her voice sickeningly sweet as she drew a pair of sickles from their holsters at the small of her back. “You’d do the same, wouldn’t you?”

Ruby yelled incoherently as they lunged to tackle Emerald. Emerald didn’t manage to dodge this time, not completely, and she grunted as Ruby’s shoulder clipped her side. Emerald replied by slicing both her sickles at Ruby’s shoulders, prompting Ruby to cry out in pain as Emerald drew first blood. Emerald raised her sickles to begin slicing at Ruby again, but Ruby’s swift knee to Emerald’s stomach caused her to buckle forward. 

“Still haven’t learned anything, have you?” Ruby yelled as she brought the handle of her axe down on Emerald’s head. Emerald was reeling and Ruby took full advantage of this by bringing a knee up again, driving it hard into Emerald’s face.

A roar from above caught Ruby’s attention, and she swore silently. Grimm had arrived, they couldn’t take the time to finish Emerald, even as Emerald lay prone upon the ground. Ruby searched frantically for the journal, thankful that it was the only book written in the common tongue. Stuffing it into Emerald’s pack alongside as much Dust as she could, Ruby bolted up the stairs.

Ignoring the pain in her shoulders where Emerald’s sickles had sliced into her, Ruby ran to where they had hidden her pack. A Grimm stood over it, sniffing experimentally. Its long arms and legs made it adopt a loping, lupine posture, even as its canine ears swiveled around at the sound of Ruby’s approach.

It reared back, rounding on Ruby, and roared a challenge that was cut short by a thrown axe burying itself in its skull. Scowling, Ruby approached the now smoldering corpse and yanked their axe free. Black ichor clung to the blade, which they flicked away while grabbing they pack. Grunting slightly as they hefted their pack and began carefully heading back towards their hut. It didn’t take long to notice how not alone they were, what with the crowd of Grimm milling about the clearing. Frowning, Ruby readied themself for a fight, because there wasn’t any way they would get out of this situation without ending each and every Grimm in their way.

The closest Beowulf howled a challenge and lunged at Ruby. They narrowed their eyes and took stock of the situation. Thick snow on the ground, about twenty Beowulves between them and the treeline, and who knows how many between them and home. A smirk graced their features as they ducked under the first overzealous strike. They brought their axe up as they pirouetted around behind the Beowulf, cutting the beast’s spine.

A spray of foul, black blood heralded the beginning of the fight in earnest, the rest of the pack charging them. Ruby brought their axe to bear, thankful at least to have that much of a weapon. A pair of Beowulves attacked as a pincer, prompting Ruby to slice the arm off of the lead and jump over the other, using it as a springboard to launch herself towards the treeline. As they landed they spun, decapitating a pair of Beowulves before their axe got lodged halfway through the third’s neck.

Thoroughly in the middle of the pack, they didn’t waste time in trying to overwhelm Ruby with their numbers. A kick to one’s jaw sent it spiraling into the one next to it, and Ruby punched a third hard enough to splinter its mask. They yanked their axe free with enough force to parry a fourth’s swing. They followed up on the opening with a brutal kick to its stomach, sending it flying backwards.

With the immediate area cleared (for now,) Ruby leapt through the air again, spinning wildly. Each revolution cleaved their axe through another Beowulf’s skull, thinning the pack. They heard wild howls from the forest as they landed, crouching to duck under a pair that had aimed to tackle her but only succeeded in slamming into one another. Deciding they didn’t want to be in a dogpile, Ruby shoved the pair away from them and intercepted another strike with their axe. They looped the blade of their axe around the offending wrist and yanked the Beowulf closer, only to send it away again with a brutal headbutt that cracked its mask.

They finished it off by freeing their axe and decapitating it, using the force of the strike to spin once more and cleave off more than a few limbs from the surrounding Beowulves. The acrid stench of their blood was heavy in the air, their blood staining the snow even as it evaporated into nothingness. This only spurred them on further, the ones already in the clearing surging towards them even as more emerged from the forest.

Ruby jumped over the first one to reach her, kicking off its back and hacking her axe downwards into another’s skull. They used their momentum, and the position of their axe, to pivot around and bring their foot down upon another’s head before spinning again and cleaving into their assailants. Even as the group immediately surrounding Ruby fell more took their place, their numbers unending as they surged from the forest.

_“This is taking too long,” _ Ruby thought as they knocked aside another strike. They had to end this now, before their luck ran out. Concentrating, Ruby flared their magic, and everything slowed down. They could see everything clearly, forming a quick mental plan of how to use their window of speed.

To the Beowulves, Ruby simply disappeared in a flash of rose petals. In actuality they had sped up so much that they couldn’t be tracked by the naked eye, becoming a blur of rose petals and death as they hacked the pack to pieces. The bodies of the dead and dying littered the ground, the Beowulves being killed faster than their bodies could evaporate. 

Finally, Ruby came to a halt just at the edge of the trees. Only a handful of Grimm remained, and they were still striking at the scattered rose petals on the wind. Thankful for that tiny distraction, courtesy of how their magic worked, Ruby dove into the trees. They were a natural sprinter, so it wasn’t long until the edge of the forest faded away. But they knew that that single pack of Beowulves was the least of their worries, for the forest held much worse in store for a careless traveler.

 

* * *

__

 

Weiss hugged her knees to her chest. It felt like hours since Ruby left and she had heard Cinder’s ‘Call,’ as Ruby had put it, three more times. Each time, her vision had faded to red and she felt an overwhelming urge to kill, maim, and destroy. To return to Cinder. She had managed to fight the urge to leave the cabin, thankful that the charms above Ruby’s bed had managed to at least take the edge off.

She had to force herself to stop herself from unbarring the door, the last time it had happened. It didn’t stop her from wedging a chair against the handle, to keep it from being easily opened. She had just started to grow unbearably hungry when a pounding at the door knocked her from her thoughts. “Wh-Who is it?” She asked, unable to keep her voice from trembling.

“It’s me, Ruby,” the person on the other side said. Before swearing, loudly, and another thud sounded against the wall. “Hurry up and open the door, will you? The local wildlife isn’t too happy right now!”

It certainly sounded like Ruby, so Weiss undid her small barricade of the door as quickly as she could. Almost sooner than she had opened the door, Ruby came bursting in and slammed the door shut. Blood seeped from a pair of gashes on their shoulders, and they had somehow acquired an extra pack.

“What happened?” Weiss demanded, helping Ruby into the chair she had barred the door with.

“One of your sisters was home,” Ruby grunted, removing the pack that was heavily laden. “The last one I tried helping. The reunion… didn’t go well.” They gestured to their wounds.

Weiss frowned. “I take it you mean one of my sisters from Cinder, and not my  _ actual  _ sister?”

“Yeah. Her name’s Emerald, and I couldn’t finish her off. This time. Oh well.” Ruby winced as they took off their coat. “You’ll have to help me with my shirt, and then close the wound for me. I can’t concentrate enough to use Dust, not with how tired I am.”

“What do you mean? My father’s journal never mentioned any medicinal properties…” Weiss did as she was told, however, moving to help Ruby with their shirt.

“He probably never thought to use a red crystal as a brand to cauterize. I’d have you stitch me up, but I don’t actually have any sutures around, and getting any from the village is out of the question.” Ruby winced with every motion their shirt made as Weiss removed it.

The wounds themselves were fairly shallow, but any wound as large as that would get infected and Weiss had no idea what to do then. “C-Cauterize. Red crystal. I assume you managed to bring Dust? In the pack?”   
“Yeah. Some of every colour, I think. Grab a red and a blue. Red to cauterize, blue to ice the pain away.”

“Right.” Weiss busied herself with getting the crystals out of the pack, trying to ignore the whispering from the back of her head telling her to pay attention to how handsome Ruby was.  _“Not the time for idle fantasies,” _ Weiss thought to herself as she placed the blue crystal aside.

“I’m starting to feel a bit light-headed, so any day now,” Ruby murmured as Weiss rounded on them, brandishing the red crystal.

“How will I know what to do? I’m no expert, and you need a real healer. Not… this.”

“Trust me, you’ll know. Just try to not, y’know, actually light me on fire. Hot enough to burn the surface, but not anything deeper, okay?” Ruby tried their best to look unfazed, but they were just as nervous as Weiss.

Weiss took a calming breath before focusing on the crystal. Immediately, she felt it heat in her hand, but it didn’t burn her. She put aside her wonderings if it could hurt her as she set it to Ruby’s skin. There was a sizzling noise, the oozing blood bubbling and steaming, as well as a foul smell. Weiss had to fight back the rising bile at the smell, and then at Ruby’s pained gasp. She was acutely aware of how Ruby’s fingers were digging into their legs, to help keep themself from crying out. Weiss kept the crystal pressed to Ruby’s shoulder, moving it slowly along the cut, ensuring that the length of it was seared shut.

She wasted no time in retrieving the blue crystal and pressing it to Ruby’s shoulder. The thin film of ice that spread from the contact was apparently quite soothing, as Ruby’s grip slackened. Weiss held that position for a long while before removing the blue crystal. “Are you alright?” She asked, hesitating.

“Y-Yeah, I will be. Just hurry up and do the other shoulder. I promise I won’t like, pass out, or anything.” Ruby’s voice was tense.

Weiss frowned, but again did as told. The smell was just as intense as it was last time, and she had to cover her mouth with her free hand. Ruby couldn’t hold back a strangled cry of pain, this time. Weiss moved faster, not caring if she did a perfect job. She just wanted that smell to leave, that pained expression to fall from Ruby’s face.

The application of the blue crystal had the same result as before, but Ruby’s face remained clenched in pain for some time. Weiss broke the crystal in half and set about gently icing over both of the wounds at once, keeping her gaze on Ruby’s face.

Finally, Ruby relaxed and spoke up. “That’s enough, thanks,” they said with a weary smile. “Why don’t you start reading over that journal while I make us some food?”

Weiss set aside the remnants of crystal and took her father’s journal from the pack, sitting on the edge of Ruby’s bed afterwards. She watched Ruby rummage about in a bag for something. When they pulled out a new shirt, Weiss spoke up. She didn’t know why she said what she did, but it was too late to change course. “You don’t have to put on a shirt, you know,” she said, trying to remain diplomatic. And trying to keep her eyes off Ruby’s muscular form. “It would just irritate your shoulders.”

Ruby blinked, straightening somewhat as they smirked over their shoulder at Weiss. “Right, of course you say that out of concern for my shoulders,” they said, crossing the room to hook their axe back onto the wall. “And not, say, because you just like seeing me topless.”

Weiss blinked, now that Ruby was looming over her. She felt her cheeks heat, because that’s exactly why she didn’t want Ruby to put their shirt on. She didn’t know  _ why  _ she was having thoughts like that, but she wasn’t going to admit to anything. “It’s because of your wounds!” She cried, glaring ineffectually up at Ruby. 

Ruby just winked, turning to head over to the fireplace to stoke the embers and add more fuel. “Of course it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I admit, the fight scene with the Beowulves was heavily inspired by the Red trailer. And yes, we'll find out about Emerald's involvement with Ruby in a future chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a week since they had left Ruby’s hut, traveling south. Ruby had told Weiss that they couldn’t stay, couldn’t wait for their shoulders to heal, because it was too dangerous. They always avoided answering all of Weiss’ questions, not wanting to break the news about the village before they reached their sister’s village.

Thankfully, they were only a few minutes from it by now. Ruby spared a glance to Weiss and was once again thankful that wolves couldn’t chuckle. In their haste to leave Ruby’s hut, they agreed that Weiss would wear Ruby’s winter clothing, as it was much more suited for the open road than Weiss’ was, and Ruby would walk alongside her as a wolf.

And Ruby’s winter clothing absolutely dwarfed Weiss in the most adorable fashion. Ruby couldn’t keep their tail from wagging at the sight of Weiss failing to keep the oversized coat on properly.

Weiss turned and glared at Ruby. “And I suppose you’re still enjoying my misery, aren’t you?” She asked.

Ruby merely responded with a playful yip before romping off the path to shift forms behind a tree (they didn’t want anyone to see their magic that didn’t already know about it, of course.) “I can’t help that you look so cute when you’re fussing with your clothes like that,” they said. “They’re not gonna fall off, y’know.”

Weiss merely glared. “Fine,” she muttered, sticking her nose in the air and looking ahead. “Is that the village?”   
“Yup!” Ruby leaned forward, knitting their fingers behind their back. “My sister runs the tavern here, she’ll be able to help us get what we need to get on our way. Just let me do the talking.”   
“Is she…” Weiss began.

“A shapechanger? No. But she does have magic of her own.”

Weiss frowned. “You know, even just a week and a half ago, if you had said any of that I would have thought you mad.”

“Life’s funny like that, ain’t it?” Ruby grinned and began skipping into town. Weiss wasn’t left with much choice but to hurry her pace. The town itself was much smaller than Weiss’, and used to be a part of her grandfather’s demesne before the civil war. It had no wall or moat, and only a single real street. In truth, it looked like nothing more than a cluster of houses that people crammed together along the road for no other reason than there being a plentiful river nearby.

It wasn’t hard to find the tavern, as it was the only multi-storied building. It was solidly built and looked to be the building of governance as well, with four large floors that bore not only the heraldry of the village but the signs of a tavern. As it was still fairly early in the day, Weiss didn’t imagine they would get anywhere by just traipsing in, but Ruby didn’t seem deterred. Instead, they simply walked up to the door and knocked.

“I told you, Erik, we’re still preparing for the festival!” A voice from within shouted.

“Dunno who Erik is, but I don’t think they’re here.” Ruby called back, a cheshire grin on their face.

There was a crash, and the sound of someone stumbling, before the door opened. “Holy shit-- Ruby? Why are you here?” The woman on the other side was just as impressively built as Ruby, if not more so. A long mane of golden hair rested upon conspicuously tanned skin, and Weiss couldn’t help but take notice of even more conspicuous violet eyes.

“It’s a long story. D’you think you could give my friend and I a room for a night?” Ruby gestured to Weiss, who inclined her head.

Before Weiss could introduce herself, the woman spoke up. “Ruby, is she pregnant? Tell me she’s not pregnant.” There was a pause, Weiss and Ruby both incredulous. The woman took this as confirmation. “Damnit she’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

“No!” Ruby declared, even as Weiss began slapping their head repeatedly. They raised their arms to fend off Weiss’ indignant assault. “No-- she’s not… she’s not pregnant! Like I said, it’s a long story, best told in private!”

Weiss stopped slapping Ruby, settling for fuming indignantly. Ruby rubbed their head nervously, chuckling while Yang considered them. “Fine,” she finally announced. “But you two have to help me prepare for the solstice festival.”

“Fine by me! But I don’t have any presents, sorry.” They grinned at Yang, who stepped aside to let them in.

Yang barred Weiss’ way, however. “Your hair. You’re the northern Lord’s daughter, aren’t you?” She asked.

Weiss blinked, averting her gaze. “I was. He died.”

“Shit-- Really? Winter didn’t say anything about that when she came through here last.”

“You… know my sister?” Weiss raised her brow, gesturing to Ruby that everything was fine.

“Yeah, she passed through here a lot when her company was on the move. She was this way just last month, on the way to Vacuo to help deal with the civil war.”   
“I see. Well… My father disowned Winter, when she left to seek a fortune as a hedge knight. By all rights, she is no longer my sister. She hasn’t been home in years.” Weiss closed her eyes, putting the memories of the fight out of her mind.

“I… damn. I’m sorry for bringing this up, then.” Yang let Weiss pass. “You two gonna tell me why you’re here, though?”

“Close the door and we’ll tell you. Might want to bar it, too.” Ruby had already sat down next to a table laden with food, but hadn’t touched any of it. She motioned for Weiss to sit with them and leaned back against the table.

Yang barred the door while Weiss sat down. “Alright, it ain’t like you to be so secretive on a whim. Now, I know you said she’s not pregnant but I get the feeling that what’s brought you both here is important.”

“Weiss is one of Cinder’s daughters,” Ruby crossed their arms, one eyebrow raised. “And she can fight the Call.”

Yang immediately rounded on Weiss, her eyes a wild, fiery red. “Yeah, Emerald fought it too, and you saw how that turned out.”

“It’s been over a week since she first heard it. She’s getting stronger, and the last time she heard it she managed to keep total control. I know that it helps how we’re moving away from Cinder, but she’s different from Emerald. She doesn’t rely on me to help her through the episodes.”

Yang kept glaring at Weiss, hands curled into fists. “So you’re taking her to Ozpin then? Or are you just running off again?”

“We’re going to Ozpin!” Weiss cried. “Why are you so suspicious, this is your sibling you’re talking to! And you know my sister, we were raised by the same parents! I didn’t turn out any different than she did!”

Ruby stood and moved between Weiss and Yang. “Yang, Weiss… Stop, please. Yes, I’m taking Weiss to Ozpin. But first, I need to see dad. Weiss needs a weapon, and he’s the best smith we know. And while we’re on our way to Ozpin, I need you to head east and get Fall. If Weiss is as strong as I think she is, then we can take the fight to Cinder and her sisters, and to do that we’ll need Fall.”

Yang’s anger died at the mention of Fall. “Y-You really mean it? You know dad doesn’t want me involved with her anymore. Not after what happened with--”   
“Dad can stuff it! It’s his fault that happened, and we need to be able to trust the people on our side.” Ruby stood defiantly, frowning at Yang.

“I… Okay. I can do that. But first, you need to know where dad is. Blake moved his Waygate, because the Sisters were getting close to finding it.”   
Weiss let out a huff, obviously not happy about being left out of the conversation. Ruby just shot her a look that told her to be quiet, they’d explain later. “Alright. I guess you’re gonna tell me where Blake is? Or did she let you know where the new Waygate is?”

“Blake can take you there. I know how much you miss each other, so I’m gonna let her take you two to dad. She’s about two weeks south of here, just past the edge of the Dune Sea.” Yang smiled as she spoke.

Ruby let out a squeal and wrapped their arms around Yang in a tight embrace. It had been over a year since they had spoken with Blake, and they hadn’t partest on the sweetest of terms. “Oh, thank you Yang! Now, Weiss and I haven’t had anything to eat today. I couldn’t catch anything last night, and we ran out of waybread too. Could we, ah…”

Yang chuckled, patting Ruby’s head. “Go ahead and take some. I don’t think the folks here will mind, they love me.”

“Thanks!” Ruby let go of Yang just as fast as they had embraced her, sitting at the table and grabbing an empty plate before loading it up with some of the food that was near.

“You are most generous,” Weiss said, following Ruby’s lead at a somewhat more sedate pace.

“I’m gonna go ready a room for you two. Don’t take too much, okay?” Yang said as she left, ignoring the thumbs up that Ruby gave them.

Weiss let silence fall for a few moments before speaking up. “Are you going to explain anything of what just happened? I’m quite lost.”

“Oh! Right, you don’t know everything about stuff.” Ruby blinked, pausing between heaping mouthfuls of mashed potatos. “Basically, Blake is an old friend of mine. We were kind’of… involved… at one point. Romantically. But the last time we were together, things kind’a went sour and… It’s a long story that you don’t need to know.

But Blake’s my dad’s Waykeeper, at least for now. She keeps his Waygate safe from Cinder’s people. And a Waygate is something  _ really  _ fancy: it’s a portal to another reality that runs next to ours. The Slipway, that’s what we call it, goes from one edge of Remnant to the other. Even across the sea, but we don’t go there anymore.”

“And your dad lives in this… Slipway? If it’s not our reality, and it goes everywhere, how can he be safe there?” Weiss asked, brow high.

“It’s not our reality, no, but it works just the same. It’s just… smaller, I guess? It doesn’t take as long to get from one place to another in the Slipway. As for how he’s safe, his Waygate isn’t a natural one. Ozpin made it, when dad started running from all our problems. But, like I said, he’s the best smith we know, so we’re headed to him.”

“So his Waygate doesn’t lead into the Slipway proper?”

“Nope! Dad’s on an island in the Slipway, so there’s only one way in or out. And Blake’s the only one who knows where that is, according to Yang, so we get to see her!” Ruby grinned and went back to eating with gusto.

Weiss sighed as Yang came back downstairs. “I’m still confused about things, but I suppose experience is better than explanation.”

“Hey, Rubes, I left a map to Blake on the nightstand in your room. Gave you one with a big bed, ‘cause the two-bed rooms are all taken. Second floor, third on the left.”   
Ruby smiled and nodded to Yang. “Cool. We’ll go drop our stuff off and then we can get started helping you prep for the festival.”

“Speaking of that-- Ruby, you should head just south of town and help with the bonfire. I know you’re handy with an axe, and can make things all sturdy, so the guys there will appreciate the help. Weiss, mind helping me in the kitchen?”

Ruby shot Yang another thumbs up and Weiss murmured her agreement.

 

* * *

__

 

Half an hour later, Yang was putting Weiss to work peeling the last of the potatoes needed for the many dishes she had yet to complete. She herself was making the filling for meat pies. “So, Weiss, how much do you know about all of  _ this.  _ The business with Cinder and Ozpin and, y’know.”   
Weiss paused for a moment before responding. “Not much. I know that my… sisters, such as they are, are all mad, that Ozpin is some kind of wizard, but not much else.”   
“So you don’t know why Cinder’s out to get you?”

“Not in the slightest. And I get the feeling that Ruby won’t deign to tell me for some time yet.”   
Yang laughed at that. “No, they probably won’t. Doesn’t want to scare you off. But you deserve to know the whole story. I’m willing to tell, if you’re willing to listen.”   
“Is that why you sent Ruby off to help with the bonfire?” Weiss sounded suspicious.

“Yup. That, and Ruby doesn’t like how I handle cooking, doing everything at once. They’re too, eh, rigid? Totally different than normal.”

“I see. Well, go ahead with whatever you’re going to say.”   
Yang chuckled. “Story time,” she murmured…

 

_ A long time ago, Ozpin traveled about the place with a… friend? Her name was Salem, and she and Ozpin went from place to place helping people. Oz always did it because he’s just that kind’a guy, y’know? Always wants to make people smile, take a bit of the burden off people’s shoulders. Salem, apparently, only acted like that’s what she wanted. She used her powers like Ozpin did, but always secretly demanded payment that was beyond what people could afford to give, or asked for favors that weren’t with people’s best interests in mind. _

_ Well, one day Ozpin found out about her doing all this and demanded that she stop. ‘They werent given their powers to be selfish,’ is what he said. Who gave them their powers, we don’t know. Nobody but them knows, but Salem… She turned on Ozpin. Turned on everyone. Y’see, everyone that she had indebted to her, she called in. Cashed in on every debt, every favor, made herself an army. Wanted to bring the whole world to heel, with her on a throne. _

_ Ozpin fought her, of course. At first from the shadows, nudging the outcomes of battles in his own favor secretly, or letting slip logistical information to the people fighting Salem. But people were fighting losing wars, and it got pretty grim for a while. So Ozpin had to step out of the shadows, started leading the different armies directly. Everything came to a head after Salem started turning her followers into monsters, and Ozpin assaulted her fortress directly. _

_ Ozpin never goes into specifics about how long they fought, but it was probably a long time. And given how the Dune Sea was made from all the destructive magics they were flinging around, I don’t think many of Ozpin’s or Salem’s allies made it out alive. At the end, it was just them and eight soldiers; four on each side, locked in combat and evenly matched. _

_ Realizing that the destruction would only keep spreading, Ozpin called for a truce. He and Salem could keep fighting forever without any kind of resolution, they knew each other too well. Salem reached the same conclusion and agreed… On one condition. _

_ See, she didn’t have any intention of just surrendering or giving up her ideas of being Queen Bitch of the world, so she proposed a game to Ozpin. Those eight soldiers that had managed to survive everything, and were still ready to jump into battle for them… They’d keep fighting. And both she and Ozpin would give them their power. Four soldiers for each of them, each with a quarter of the power that their leader had. _

_ This whole situation would only get worse if Ozpin refused, so he agreed to the terms. If one side killed the other soldiers off entirely, then they’d be the winner and the other side had to agree to whatever terms the winner imposed. Ozpin’s soldiers, some of the best fighters in the world, and really the best people in the world, became Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. In fact, they’re why people name kids after seasons sometimes… At least, that’s why the trend started in the first place. _

_ Now, I don’t know who Salem’s people became. All I know is that one of them became Cinder, and that’s who Ozpin has me and Ruby fighting. He has other groups helping his people, the Seasonal Maidens, fight Salem’s witches and likes to keep us separate. My family, at least on my dad’s side, has been in the fight almost since it started. _

_ The witches were crafty and, despite the Maidens’ attempts to kill them off… well, they just didn’t die. It wasn’t until Fall killed Cinder a few decades ago that we learned that we can’t kill the witches off permanently. Their soul just possesses the closest of their daughters, takes over and completely obliterates who they were before. Apparently this gets easier if the daughter has no real personality of their own, which is why I guess that the witches drive their kids insane. _

 

“So… now you know why this is all going on. Any questions?” Yang asked as she slid a meat pie into an oven.

“You mentioned that this war… it made the Dune Sea? But how can that be possible, the Dune Sea has been on Remnant since… Well, forever.”

“Not forever, actually. And it used to be a lot larger than what it is now… But no, this war’s been going on for a few thousand years. As for how it’s been possible, Ozpin and Salem are just that powerful. If they kept fighting like they did at Salem’s fortress, the world would be gone.” Yang turned and leaned on the table in the center of the kitchen. 

“I see… If it’s been going on for that long, how are the Maidens still alive? Do they… take over their daughters too?” Weiss seemed apprehensive about the possibility.

“No. As far as I know, they just… stopped aging. Same for the witches. The Maidens just don’t leave anything to chance, because they know they won’t get a second chance. So they keep training every day to be the best fighters they can be. I’m sure Ozpin could change who is any particular Maiden if he wanted, but with that much power… It probably wouldn’t be the best choice.”

Weiss turned her back, hiding her face. “And this war is going to keep going on until one side gets an upper hand?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, Cinder always keeps one of your sisters around, so you’re not in any danger of suddenly turning into her.”

“That’s  _ hardly  _ comforting, because I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

Yang winced, checking on one of the ovens. “Alright. Any other questions?”

“No. I’ll get these peeled quickly; is there anything else you wanted from me?”   
“Nah, the food is all pretty much done. When you’re done with the potatoes, go ahead and check around town. Do what you like.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this fic is partially inspired by a short comic by ailtern on tumblr. Otherwise, this is a fantasy AU.


End file.
